Next Gen: Christmas Special
by Superior Knight
Summary: Christmas time is here, and the children of the worlds greatest heroes prepare celebration and spending time together. Direct continuation of "Next Gen". OC Centered, children of canon characters. (SMxWW, LoboxMaxima, HJxCF, BatmanxCatwoman, etc.)


**Superior Knight- disclaimer, this is the first Christmas Special Story I've written and I would say a tad incomplete.**

 **Pinkie- then why are you posting this?**

 **Deadpool- and where's Xenomaster?**

 **Superior Knight- I felt compelled to get this posted at least before or by Christmas. It's Christmas Eve. So yeah. Oh, Xenomaster had other projects to finish up with, so couldn't commit to this one. So now it's all on me.**

 **Deadpool- so when's this one 'special' supposed to be taken place in your Next Gen story series?**

 **Superior Knight- directly right after Chapter 1 of the first Next Gen story. So readers, I advise you go read Next Gen Ch 1 first, and this is OC centered that are children of the Justice League and other DC Characters.**

 **Pinkie- can we present now?**

 **Superior Knight- yeah.**

 **Pinkie- Next Gen Christmas Special!**

* * *

 _ **The Earth's Moon...**_

" **The Earth is near yet another rotation around the single yellow star in this stellar system, and on Earth was a season that was celebrated around the world of different cultures. A season that was so popular, the alien worlds that have established healthy communication and trade routes with the Earth have adopted this seasonal holiday. Christmas time is here. Like all other beings in the world, the champions of truth, justice and all that is good and their time spent at this time of the season. Come and see, I the Phantom Stranger will show you the lives of these heroes."**

Decades ago, it was just Earth and the blackness, but now there was some space traffic from officiated routes for spacecraft arriving or taking off from Earth. The moon carried other biosphere stations each representing a nation of Earth, while there was a central one representing the United Nations. The Watchtower moon base still triumphed in design and technology. A sight to see for the every-man taking off to space for the first time. But in the case of the Neos Team of the Justice League; it was a same old view that was going to be a daily living for them. It had been a two hours after the public ceremony of being accepted into the Justice League as a new official team, and they were helping set up for their celebration of orientation, while also making it a Christmas party as well, given that Christmas was around the corner. On the Watchtower moon base, the party was still being set up. Service droids were floating and carrying items and tables across the observation deck where the Earth could be seen.

Now, in the main deck with view of the monitor bridge keep up above, where R'iva sat behind the monitors. There were tables being set up in front of the teleport pad by service drones. Blue Lantern Martin Jordan creating constructs of hands to help set up decorations, while Terry was instructing more service droids with new tasks. Zach, on the other hand, was just leaning on a table, trying to bargain with his teammates;

"Don't see why we can't bring in some of Doctor Mist's stick pack here"

Martin looked at Zachary with concern, "Brother, that mystic narcotic gives a high that won't end. It might kill someone."

"That's why you have to have a designated partner. You too straight edge to not know that?" Zach mocked with a rapid pace of words that were a bit too fast than normal. This didn't go unnoticed, as Terry Wayne finished instructing a service droid to a complete a task.

"Are you on something right now?"

The mage shrugs nonchalantly "Keeps me all the more focused. Holmes did it." Points a finger at Terry, who was just about to say something. "It's a legal one! Chill out!"

R'iva sat up on the Monitor bridge, where she could still hear the others. Wanting to weigh in, she calls out, "I don't think Sherlock Holmes is real."

"Eh… maybe?" Terry brought up.

Martin looked at the Wayne with interest, "What are you saying?"

"They literally found the burial ground of Robin Hood last week. You think Sherlock Holmes is a stretch?" Terry finished with a rhetorical question.

"What's next? King Arthur or Jesus Christ?" Martin asked.

"Both are real, you damn muggle. All infinite possibilities," Zach stated, as he drank a bottle of water. "I'm getting my hands on some sticks. And you lot anyone are welcome to join. But someone needs to be the designated one who will give us the counter effect and sober us up.

Martin shook his head and sighed, "No drugs, Zach. Magic or otherwise."

"Party pooper," Zach whined.

Riva, using her shapeshifting, elongates her arm out to the lower bridge, and shapeshifting into another physical copy of R'iva still connected to R'iva up on the Monitor Bridge. "Kazzie may volunteer."

Zach brightens up, "He have a phone number, love?"

R'iva hands it over with a simple telepathic message.

"Alien vs magic. Who can party harder," Zach asked eagerly.

On the teleport pad that was just in front of them, lighting up and materializing was Shockwave. He zips in from the teleport pad, and triumphantly said, "Well, stopped several terrorists in Egypt, arrested Girder for the third time this month and got Meloni tickets to the next showing of her favorite band."

R'iva leans to Shockwave with a smirk, "if you and Meloni are in need to spice things up, then I'm right here."

Shockwave shook his head, "We talked about this. If we want it to turn our love life into something Lovecraft would cough up, you'll know."

R'iva shrugs and looked toward Terry, "what about you Terry? How are you and your lovely high school sweetheart?"

Batman Beyond holds up his hand in sign of halting, "Dana and I are doing fine, R'Iva."

Martin looks to the Martian Girl with concern, "Are you sure you're alright, R'Iva? You are getting a bit…"

Shockwave said, "Clingy?"

Zach adds, "Invasive?"

Batman Beyond finishes, "I would've said something a little less… that. But thanks for the input, guys.

"You know Martians and our unhealthy obsession to oreos? I've been cutting down my portions." R'iva informed, just before eye twitch. "I'm putting my energy to something else. Something else I enjoy," Her eye twitches and shudders again, and she begins growing in size, dwarfing the four gentlemen and glaring down at them with hunger and desire, "Something else…"

All four of the men remained stiff but were all moving back away from the Martian. Zach silently casts a protection spell as a response, Terry flicked on a small lighter.

R'iva's extension then grins and chuckles, and it then is reverted back to R'iva arm and is pulled back, where R'iva was laughing up on the Monitor Bridge, "Heehahaha! Don't worry. Once Kazzie gets here, it'll go down to normal."

Batman Beyond sighed in relief, "Here's to hoping. Where are Lisa and Kairo?"

Shockwave hearing the teleport monitor beep, "Three, two, one."

On the teleport pad, Lisa materializes in her usual purple sports jacket and dark green pantsuit and green blouse.

The Kryptoamazon not there, everyone assumed, but Zach expresses in the form of a question,"Wonder Cop still not taking teleport?"

They hear the alert for the personal airlock opening and closing. In short time, Kairo enters the main bridge with a box of doughnuts, "doughnut anyone?" Kairos opens the box.

Shockwave blitzes through and takes all but one for each of his teammates. "Don't mind if I do." Donnie then starts a-munching.

Kairos nods as he places the box to the nearest table set up by the droids, as he asked, "our parents and siblings?"

The Neo Dark Knight of Neo Gotham answers, helping himself to a sweet pastry, "gathering the families and friends."

Kairos raised his hand to his chin in thought, "then still more free time."

The Kryptoamazon raises up his left wrist and presses on the controller infused into his arm bracer. Activating a hologram showing the list of new generation heroes and numbers of saved lives, criminals busted, average emergency response time, total patrol time, etc.

Donnie groaned, "Come on, not now."

"Jon you said you'd put this off," Lisa complained.

Kairos raises a finger in protest, "ah ah, I said I would cancel my patrol route and spend time with you all. You're here with me, I'm with you. It's spending time."

Lisa stuttered, "yes, but… you know what I mean!"

"This won't take long. Call it killing time," Kairo negotiated, as he pulls out a remote to prepare the presentation.

Zach muttered, "I call it killing the mood."

"Let's get down to business. Here," Kairo begins by pointing at the stats with a laser pointer he picked up. "Are all our statistics and records individually. Top three being myself, Martin and Terry. In that order. Here," Points to another set of statistics and graphs. "This is our parents' individual stats. We have stats to fill up and catch up on."

Donnie shrugged, "Meh, I can make up my stats in quick time. All good."

"There's only so much my mom did in being reactive, but my dad, if he was not so shady, all the busts he's done, I bet I can go that route. I could also use a duplicate spell to cover more ground on my patrols," Zach got into his zone of speaking out loud his thought and planning.

Terry ignoring the muttering mage, looks to Kairo, "speaking of reactive, ARGUS sent me a message, requesting a meeting."

Martin nodded, as he lighted a hologram screen of messages his ring received, "same as I."

"Ah yes, I've been meaning to also get to that. Colonel Atom-," Kairo is interrupted by the Martian, still up on the Monitor keep.

"Ooh, he's a hunk!" R'iva hollered from the keep.

"Shush," Kairo quickly hushed R'iva. "I have discussed things with Colonel Wyatt Adam, any cases or potential missions that ARGUS cannot get directly involved with for multiple reasons, or cases that would call for our expertise and experience to save the manpower and resources. With the cooperation with ARGUS, we are granted federal assistance, jurisdiction, and information."

Lisa, skeptic and cautious with collaboration with government agencies, peels her eyes and asks, "what's in it for them?"

Kairos hearing Lisa's gingerly tone remained composed and replied, "Colonel Adam wants to show there can be cooperation between government agencies and freelance hero organizations. And retaining any detailed info of the threats we face, have faced, and are yet to face. Ensuring that ARGUS agents and troops are at the ready to assist and combat the threat if any case we are unable to."

Martin considered Kairos words and reflected on his own experience with the Lantern Alliance and government institutions in other worlds, and then said, "peaceful relations with a standing authority is something the Lantern Alliance strives to achieve."

"So it's up to each of you," Kairos nodded, allowing them to consider it their own decision.

R'iva, her father working as an ambassador between Earth and Saturn, working with governments wasn't new or awkward to her, so she answered, "I'm down."

"Pretty sure ARGUS has mages and connections with the Mages Association. I don't see what I could offer, but alrighty then," Zach abides nonchalantly.

Kairos looked to the last three, "Lisa, Terry, Donnie?"

Terry, remaining defensive, says, "if it was Amanda Waller or Maxwell Lord, then I'd keep my info to myself."

"But it isn't them, it's Director Steve Trevor and Colonel Adam," Kairos replied. "Think about it in international perspective as well, we need to have good relations with other nations. I've even established communication with Russia's FSB Superhuman Unit and China's Super Functionary Department."

Lisa raised an eyebrow at Kairos' network he was establishing, and then asked concerning another shady organization that hasn't always had healthy relationships with superheroes, "what about Checkmate?"

"They are an established force under United Nation sanction," Kairos rhetorically stated. "We have to cooperate with them in a professional manner whether we like it or not. That goes for the International Ultramarines, The Human Defense Corps, etc."

Donnie quickly protested, "But some of those government guys are douches."

Kairos remained stoic, and gave a composed exposition;

"What separates us from the New Bloods? Discipline and professionalism. What separates us from the rising amateur superhero teams? Efficiency and influence. The Justice League carries the rank and title as 'The World's Greatest Heroes.' Whether it is by the efforts of our parents, then we must still maintain that legacy and rank as this world's superhuman ratio increases and as the world begins expanding space-ward. The Justice League will not try, will not relax, will not hinder, will not insult sovereign positional authority. We will be the example every other superhero team and agency looks up to, whether they be veteran or amateur. If we stand closed off, because of past differences, then we will not only become small but also irrelevant as these times are changing."

Everyone thought about what Kairo said, and while some were divided on being cooperative with groups with shady past, it was the right thing to do for they were the team called the Justice League.

Kairos had other matters to get to, so he continued, "I'll give you all time to think about it, for now, let's move into another area that needs discussion; recruits and reserve members."

Zach clapped his hands, "this should be good." Snaps his finger, and a chair moves its legs like an anthropomorphic figure, stopping right behind Zach and the mage sat down resting his feet on a table.

"Now, while we have already just been accepted as a team into the League, it best to have options ready for when we are stabilized. Any recommendations?" Kairos asked.

R'iva was the first answer in an instant, "Kazzie."

R'iva inserts image of Kazador, real-life image standing 7' 6" tall and a hulking pale skinned man with pale skin, rugged beard and wild hair, wearing a black coat, dark pants, black boots, gray shirt underneath. A near spitting image of the notorious bounty hunter, Lobo. Beside his image, Kazador's powers and abilities were also listed down on the hologram display.  
Kairos did consider Kazador, but quickly asked R'iva, "you're not just thinking with your genitals on this?"  
R'iva smirked, "Hey, it's me." Gives a wink, and then shifts from flirt to professional, "But being serious, Kazador does have something to contribute. Look at the Earth governments, the Earth is starting to expand to space, which means more activity on our part dealing with extraterrestrial activity."  
Martin, puzzled at R'iva's consideration of a spaceman, since he himself was immersed in space since childhood, "and that's why I am here, sister."  
R'iva then points out, "yes, but you are a cop. The first sign of a cop, What happens? The dark figure of crime hides and remains quiet but not inactive. Kazador, his time in space, he's quickly been able to blend in and gain the trust of the general population of these different alien races and colonies."  
Terry listened to R'iva's reason, and gave an impressed gesture, "Very impressive, R'iva. Using criminology terms."

"Hey, my dad has been a cop before being a superhero," R'iva explained.  
Zach comments, "a tough ass-kicking chameleon. He kicked our asses back on Warworld, and still can give Kairos a run for his money."  
Kairos ignored Zach's comment, "his PTSD?"  
"Improved a lot. I mean, the only thing to worry about his claustrophobia," R'iva fully knowledgeable about Kazador's background when not hanging around Earth. "So long as he isn't forced into any tight space simulating a dungeon, he's good."

Donnie then asks, "How are we going to pay him? Unless you got other ways of paying him, green girl."

"Oh, I got plenty…," R'iva mischievously smirked.

Kairos sighed in annoyance, and quickly got the conversation back on track by answering Donnie's question, "with Earth governments setting up space settlements in the Sol System, Earth currency is being synced to the intergalactic market."

Lisa nods and then decides to contribute, "Here's another one." Presses on her watch synced to the hologram console, inserts image of the newest Firestorm, aka, The Stein brothers. The new Firestorm, resembled his predecessors in appearance all the way from the atomic flames at the top of the head and the red and yellow outfit that materializes in the fusion, but in their civilian unfused form, both men were in their young twenties, blonde hair and blue eyes, one short haired and the other with more grown hair. "I'm sure you all have met Martin Stein's nephews. Edward and Alphonse Stein."

"Excellent minds in the field of science, making good use of their powers. Though the Driver can be a bit stubborn and hot-headed," Kairos answers.

R'iva looking at the photos of the brothers, blonde men with blue eyes, "they're both cute."  
Kairos responds, "focus."

Shockwave then adds, "That and they may be dating with a frost chick or someone close to their temperature."  
Kairos looks to Shockwave, "and that matters why?"

Donnie smirks, "I like to burst bubbles. Do NOT turn that into an innuendo!"

Kairos stares at Donnie with no emotion, but the clear aura of dumbfounding to Donnie's supposed 'joke', "... if your impulsive nature wasn't factored in as good, then I would motion for Dawn to replace you. Any others?"

Zach decides to contribute, "my pal, Rose Blood, is a talented and smart mage, that and she's got a demon inside of her. "

Kairos, however, was not so keen on enlisting Rose Blood, in particular, the demon inside her. Adding, "If Jynnera threatens to eat my heart again, I will grab her by horns and smash her face into the ground and stomp on her with my foot."

"Yeah…," Zach would've tried to defend his old friend's demonic half, but he already knew full well the tad untamed nature of the demoness, Jynnera. "There's that."

"Have you magi still not found the Helm of Nabu?" Terry asked, knowing full well about the passing away of the last Doctor Fate, and the Helm of Nabu vanishing.

Zach quickly answers, "Nope. Wherever the hell it is, it's most likely looking for a new wearer."

Donnie looked at Kairos, "Does the boss have recommendations?"

Kairos nods, and answers, "K'iran has already expressed that he doesn't want to be in a position with too much spotlight, so he's not a recommendation. Colonel Atom has too much obligation to his federal agency. But there is another."

Kairos controls the hologram control and draws out image and footage from records and archives of Mareena Curry, Aquagirl. "We have her in the team, we have an influence on the largest dominion on the planet. That's influence wise. Individual-wise, her hydrokinesis will come in handy for rescue and combat."

Lisa comments "That be three royals on our team."

"Actually, Kazzie renounced his royalty," R'iva speaks on behalf of Kazador if he is allowed to join.

"And because I was born male from my mother, Queen of Amazons, the dual-arch goes to Lara and Aegeus," Kairos explains his status as Prince to the Amazons.

"That sucks," Zach quickly pipes.

"Besides that, Mareena would be a great asset. Anyone think otherwise or extra comments?" Kairos finishes with a question. But then quickly looks to R'iva who is about to say something, stopping her by adding, "keep indecent comments to self."

R'iva whined, "ugh. Fine."

"Are there any others," Kairos asks everyone else.

Terry answers, "Everyone else I know is either joining another team, or they're camera shy."

"Then that's settled," Kairos states, as he shuts the hologram off. Kairos turns to see the others, "Well? We have a party to help set up?"

Everyone finally relaxed but got to work on setting up the festivities. Donnie speeding off to get more decorations, while Kairos took off toward the space-walk bay. Terry seeing Kairos leaving, "Where you going?"

"Have another thing to do for my dad. Delivering pies to Smallville's Methodist Church, and bring pies here," Kairos answers.

R'iva sat back on the monitor bridge and quickly looking at her text message to Kazador that had been sent before the ceremony. He didn't make it, but R'iva was told that Kazador had his hands full with something concerning Santa Claus.

 _ **Hours ago, Sol System, Saturn...**_

A ten meter tall Faceless Hunter groaned as he was dragged up from the ground to his feet, his hands restrained by the Almara-Czarnian, Kazador Maximus.

"Go with Christ, bro," Kazador muttered, as he got the Faceless Hunter to the nearest Saturnian Police Station, where he got his bounty payment there. It was there, where Kazador received the text message;

'Kazzie, the ceremony is about to start and Christmas party soon after on Watchtower.'

Kazador nodded with a pleasant smile, looking at the clock on the hologram. "Gotta get there."

The Almara-Czaranian jogged over to his space-chopper and hopped on. Boosters fired up, and Kazador rode off toward Earth. Kazador was in no hurry, making good time in the pace he was going, he took in the scenery of the planets and star the Sol System he had taken a calling home away from home. "On the road again. I just can't wait to get on the road again."

Singing the song, Kazador was not paying attention to his surroundings beside the direction he was headed toward, as something was rocketing toward him from above. Kazador's enhanced hybrid senses detected trouble, but just as he was about to look up, he was jumped. The force of the impact pushed him downward along with his space-chopper. They were passing by the moons of Mars and now they were crashing into it.

The impact of the crash caused dust and dirt to fly up covering Kazador's default vision, which motioned for him to wave away the dust with his telekinesis. Kazador looking around to see what crashed into him, but stopped looking down to see how his space-chopper was and finds indented and banged up.

"Aww, come on!" Kazador complained, looks around to find the individual or object that crashed into him.

"You better not run, you better not hide. You can't fight I'm telling you why...," a menacing and rough voice growled in an echo.

"Huh?" Kazador looked around in confusion at a parodied holiday hymn.

"Krampus is coming, to town!"

Kazador gets pounced once more crashing into a mountain wall, and the hybrid reacts by pushing back against his attacker and finally getting a glance; a goat-man with sharp longhorns, who was just as big and built as he was.

"What the frag- who... what the frag do you want?! You busted my chopper, man! What quarrel do I have with you?" Kazador demanded an answer, more concerned about his chopper than his current state of being attacked by an equally burly creature.

"I'm the f#$%ing Harbinger of Christmas, and what I want is a red Christmas," the hulking goat-man roared, as he pulls a massive oversized bazooka and aims it right in front of Kazador's face.

Kazador just as confused, but his reaction is composed by crushing the barrel with his mind.

"Harbinger of Christmas? Baby Jesus be throwing a fit, if he were not so forgiving," Kazador gives a quick comment. "But, you're still not answering why you're trying to-"

Kazador is interrupted as he swerves his head to the right side avoiding being hit by a punch from the so-called Krampus, and the Almara-Czaranian pushes the Christmas demon back with his powerful arms augmented by his telekinesis. Krampus stops a few meters away from Kazador, stopping the momentum of the push by anchoring into the ground, and then Krampus charges head first toward Kazador. Like a ram, Krampus' horns sharp and strong enough to even pierce into Kazador's body, and then tunneling through the mountain behind Kazador. Breaking out with a boom, inadvertently causing the mountain to collapse on itself. Kazador stopped Krampus and sprawled over Krampus grabbing him and flinging the horned-hulking to the side. Just as Krampus was getting back up and about to attack once more, Kazador raised his hands toward Krampus in a stopping motion;

"Stop! Just stop! Alto! Halt! Seize from attacking! Why are you trying to kill me!?"

Krampus finally heeds Kazador's words, takes out an oriental slip of paper that carried brief information of Kazador, "Tsk tsk... Kazador Maxximus, I'm pretty sure you have heard about my old man. The jolly tamer of flying reindeer. Good Ol' St. Nick. Santa Claus. Your father knew him. Knew him well. In fact, your father murdered him."

"Uh... listen, I'm sorry what my father did, b-but I'm not really in good terms with him. In fact, he didn't even know I existed until I was 20," Kazador gave his condolences while explaining his relationship to his father.

"Does it look like I care. Lobo killed my pop, so I kill Lobo's kid," Krampus wasn't deterred. Reaching into his 'present' bag that was hanging from his belt, he pulls out a massive sword.

Kazador sighed, hoping that the Christmas demon would be reasonable and rational, but it was not so, "look, man, it's Christmas right now, my friends invited me to their ceremony to being accepted to the Justice League and they got a party going on after."

"Precisely. It is Christmas," Krampus acknowledged, as he rushed at Kazador once more.

Kazador evaded every swing from the goat-man, as he drew out his Bowie knife made out of Promethium metal and stabbing it into Krampus multiple times and then raming him back with a shoulder butt. Kazador saw that the Christmas demon was healing from the knife wounds, "healing factor. Frag."

'Kazador. I sense your psychic presence in the Sol System. The ceremony is about to begin,' Kazador heard J'onn's telepathic messaging reaching him. Kazador closed his eyes in disappointment, realizing the situation he was in and replied, 'J'onn, I don't think I'll make it. I got Santa Claus' evil half to deal with.'

'Excuse me?' J'onn asked in confusion, as Kazador closed off communication net.

"Comon let's get down with the sickness!" Krampus screamed, as he hopped in a fighting stance around Kazador and charged.

Kazador crossed his eyes in annoyance and irritation, "Why me?" The hybrid then did a forward kick straight into Krampus' belly kicking him back. The goat-man recovered only to be punched in the face by Kazador, but Krampus countered by pulling out a candy-cane spear from his gift bag and thrusting it into Kazador's gut.

 _ **Smallville...**_

What was once a settlement that lived up to its name, and the land that the Man of Tomorrow had called his home, Smallville, has changed through the years. Smallville had grown in population and it had become sporadic. The updated technology of flying cars and polished buildings had come to this Midwest town. However, despite the polished look, Smallville was still a farming community, and thanks to the advancements in science, housing didn't require as much land to take up fields for farming. And there was still one farm that remained the same.

Inside the home of the farm, Lara Kent Prince El, in her civilian attire; glasses, a white scarf, black leather jacket, blue jeans and white beanie, and black boots, had stopped by to pay her respects and wishes to her adoptive grandparents, Martha and Jonathan Kent. Jonathan Kent passed away in one of Brainiac's last sieges on Earth, while Martha Kent had passed away years later in peace. Saddening to not being able to meet her father's parents, she still held them to high regards.

The farm was still under the Kent name, and Superman would bring his family over to help in farming and harvesting seasons. While Lara preferred hanging out with the animals and running around the fields, Kairos liked the labor. As Kairos put it, "It was therapeutic."

However, at this particular moment, Lara had other reasons stopping by the Kent farm; checking the Christmas presents before Christmas Day. The younger Kryptoamazon approached the Christmas tree that was cut from a pine tree in the woods and knelt down to check the Christmas presents that were wrapped up. While one would think to use x-ray vision, Lara already knew that her parents would wrap the presents with lead-lined gift wrapping paper. A method passed down from the Kent grandparents.

"Alrighty then, let's see what we got...," Lara scoured through the presents looking for the one that was meant for her. Finding it, Lara picks it up and prepares to use investigative analysis that she had learned from her hero training all to find out what's her present. She needed to concentrate. She needed to be careful. Not to leave any trace that she had already found out. Nothing should interrupt her...

"Lara."

"Aaeeee!" Lara screams dropping her present and looking back with her eyes glowing red readying her heat vision in startle mode. Surely enough, she found her older brother standing in his civilian attire, a red jacket, blue plaid button-up shirt, blue jeans, and brown boots.

Lara scowled and points a finger at her brother, "Don't do that!"

"You're still at this? You're 17 years old," Kairos pointed out with annoyance at his little sister's immature behavior of sneaking through the presents.

"It's a personal tradition. Find out the present before Christmas morning," Lara defended her actions and then tries to turn the questioning on her brother. "Anyway, what are you doing here?"

"Dad specifically gave me instructions to pick up the pies that were left here for the church's charity program and some for the party at the Watchtower," Kairos answered, as he walked over to the kitchen.

Lara pouted at Kairos' real intentional reason for visiting, and then glanced back at the presents. Before she did anything, her brother called out, "Do anything with the presents, and I'll tell mom."

"Ugh! You're always the tattle-teller!" Lara complains as she follows her brother to the kitchen.

Kairos ignores her sister's claim about him, as he opens the fridge and finds the pies that had already been cooked and ready to be warmed up. "Since you're here, might as well help me with these."

"Dad asked you to do it, not me," Lara points out, as she grabs a loaf of bread from the fridge. Taking bread out, and using her heat vision to toast the bread.

"You also came to pay respects to our grandparents?" Kairos asks as he packs up the pies.

"Oh, yeah. That too," Lara answers, as she looks at the wedding picture of Jonathan and Martha Kent. They were married in a church, and Lara knew her grandparents were folks of faith, which was no surprise, they lived in the Midwestern United States. This got Lara thinking, "You think it be bad if we give a prayer for them?"

"I'm a deist. I wouldn't mind prayer," Kairos simply answered, as he then looks to Lara. "It's up to you. You pay homage to Athena, Artemis, and Hera like mom does."

"Hmm... well, I guess they wouldn't mind me praying to an extra god," Lara simply puts, as she finished smearing jelly onto her toasted bread and takes a bite.  
"If you want, then I can lead the prayer," Kairos states as he takes the stacks of pies in their boxes.

Lara finishes eating the bite of her toast, and then answers, "that would be nice."

Kairos gives a simple nod, as he carries the stacked boxes of pies outside. Lara follows behind and sees the pick-up truck Kairos is stacking the boxes into. "Seriously? You're driving that dinosaur?"

"It still works and plenty of people still drive these," Kairos replies. "Plus, it was a truck grandpa gave to dad."

"Put it in a museum. This thing must have been driving since the middle of the Cold War," Lara comments, looking at the wheeled truck.

"It's not that old," Kairos replies, as he opens the driver side door.

"Well, it's got wheels. Who can tell? Everybody else is using the hover-cars," Lara points out, as she enters the passenger side. "But let's see this old junk run. Pedal to the metal, Kai!" Lara commands pointing forward.

But they still remained in the same spot, as Kairos was buckling up. Lara rose an eyebrow, "bro, you're invulnerable. Why do you need a seatbelt?"

"Aren't you the one talking about trying to act normal?" Kairos rhetorically asks, as he takes out the keys and starts the truck. Proceeding to drive through the farm's driveway and into the street.

Lara mockingly mouths her brother's rhetorical question silently, as she looks at him. "Acting normal would include driving a hover-car since everyone else does."

"We're not everyone," Kairos replies. The rest of the drive was silent, minus Lara putting the radio to play a radio station that was playing Christmas songs. If it wasn't obvious, Lara has been the talkative one of the siblings, but Kairos didn't mind it. While Kairos could've used his super speed to drop the pies off at the church and go on his own business, he stuck to using the truck and spending time with his sister. He has never been the talking butterfly, but Kairos cherished the company of family and close friends.

Dropping the pies off at the church, they arrive at a hill near the Kent farm where the Kents had been buried and their tombstone had been set up. Right by the tombstone, two flowers left there by their father; the flowers were Kryptonian, so they would never wither. Lara glances at Kairos, his default stoic face remaining. Kairos looks back at his sister, and asks, "Would you like for me to start?"

"Yeah... wait, hold on," Lara says, as she speeds off with her super speed.

Kairos remains in the same spot waiting for his sister to return and looking at the tombstone of his adoptive grandparents. The eldest Kryptoamazon barely remembered his grandmother, for she had passed away when he was younger, but Kairos could still remember the gentle and loving kindness of his grandmother that clearly rubbed off onto her adoptive son, Clark Kent. Kairos looked at the name of his grandfather, whom his middle name is named after. The Kryptoamazon smiles, cherishing and honoring his grandparents from his father's side. Then a gust of wind pushes through, indicating Lara finally had returned and she was carrying a bouquet of flowers. Lara looks to Kairos, "okay."

Kairos declared himself a deist, but he knew his grandparents believed in the Judo-Christian God, so he gave his prayer, "Lord God, we pray in giving respects to our adoptive grandparents. We give thanks to you for allowing this kindly couple to be the ones to find our father in that cornfield when he was brought to this planet. We are thankful for the principles and wisdom that you enlightened them that were embedded into our father, and which he does for us. We are thankful that you allowed them to raise our father into the man the world and universe know as Superman. May your children, Martha and Jonathan Kent know we give thanks to them. In your name, Amen."

Lara opens her eyes from her prayer, looking at her brother, impressed by his prayer, "for a deist, you talked to Jehovah like a friend."

"He's everywhere, no?" Kairos responds.

Lara places the flowers on the tombstone and stands back up to her brother. "Well, where you headed to? The Watchtower?"

"I got those pies to take up there," Kairos answers.

"You can't take them by just flying. Who knows what'll happen if they're exposed to the vacuum. So... teleport," Lara points out one method of transportation to the Watchtower, the dreaded teleport that her brother distrusts.

Kairos simply shakes his head, "I'll take a Javelin up there."

"Then I'll see you at the party," Lara says, as she walks off.

"Lara," Kairos calls out.

"Yeah?" Lara asks.

"I'll tell if you go back to the farm to sneak through the presents," Kairos says.

"Tattle-tell..."

 _ **Sol System, Passing by Mars...**_

"Had to travel all the way to Rann for some trafarkora, and they couldn't do us a solid in allowing to use their Zeta Beams to transport us all the way to the Earth's moon," Tyrone, the Indigo Lantern of Sector 2814, complained.

James Stewart, male Star Sapphire crossed his eyes, "Oh quit your whining."

Their rings then detect a disturbance.

"Alert. Massive psionic force detected. The surface of Mars." The rings warned.

Tyrone and James look toward the planet Mars they were passing by, and find there to crack on the surface that was not supposed to be there.

"You think these could be Martians?" James asks his Indigo companion.

"Only one way of finding out," Tyrone replies.

The two lanterns float down to the surface where their rings were tracking for the single life sign they had detected. They find a crater that was not from any meteor and from the dust that was in the air, it was a recent crater. At the center of the crater, they found Kazador, his clothes ripped apart with only his pants covering his body. Stained with blood, but his wounds already healed thanks to his Czaranian healing factor. Tyrone and James look for confusion.

"Kazador? What happened to you?" Tyrone asks.

"Yeah, the ceremony had already passed hours ago," James points out.

Kazador sits up, remaining silent and expressionless as he raises up his right hand carrying ripped up and fresh bloodied ribs from the creature that he was fighting. The Lanterns step back a tad disgusted at what Kazador was carrying in his hands, and Kazador simply replies, "I got fresh goat meat for the Christmas Party."

 _ **Watchtower...**_

The party had come underway. Music playing in the background, and everyone interacting with each other through conversations, eating together, etc. In one example, Hal Jordan retelling one of his old space missions he had with Superman, Martian Manhunter helping himself to the platter filled with Choco cookies, Diana and Mera talking about their respected kingdoms, etc.  
One particular red-headed girl was talking with the Amazon's newest Shim'Tar elite warrior, Astraia. Knowing full well about Astraia's past with Kairos, and being one of the only romantic interests Kairos ever got involved with.

"So what did it take to finally catch Kairos' attention?" Lisa asks.

Astraia simply answers, "Show you got the commitment to fighting for justice."

"Then what exactly happened between the two of you?" Lisa asks another, puzzled that their relationship didn't last.

"He apostatized against the gods," Astraia gives a small disappointed face. "It wouldn't have worked that way."

Terry Wayne, who was eavesdropping on the two young women's conversation then glances over to Kairos who was silently cherishing the event. Terry smirks, "This must be a nightmare. Your old squeeze telling secrets to another of our old friends who have a crush on you."

"Hurrm," Kairos responds.

"Oh don't give the stoic humph. You must be embarrassed," Terry persecutes. Then causing Kairos look at Terry, an impassive and stoic face that showed no emotion, and Kairos asks, "Look into my eyes, and see if there is any of that?"

"... You're really hard to read," Terry comments.

"Good," Kairos replies, closing his eyes giving a little smirk, amused with Terry's reaction to his stoicism.

Lizzie, Terry's little sister, pops up and weighs in, "You're harder to read than our dad!"

"I'll take that as a compliment," Kairos states.

Kairos looks out toward the observation windows that showed the horizon of the moon, the stars far out in space, the space-traffic of ships and shuttles traveling through the Sol System. The Kryptoamazon looks at his team, interacting with their family and friends. Looks to his own family, his mother laughing about an amusing experience in one of her adventures, his father crosses his eyes at Hal Jordan's immature joke, his sister helping herself with some punch. Never expressing outright, but Kairos cares for them all deep, and this event is one of the times that he will put off patrolling and fighting in the name of justice for. A happy occasion. Something to cherish and make worthwhile.

Kairos looks to his oldest friend, "How about we set up the hologram training room for a snowy terrain and make a snowball fight?"

"Oh. For a second I thought you wanted to a build a snowman," Terry responds, but then smiles. "But hell yeah, let's do that."

Arriving via teleport pad, materializing, James and Tyrone appear along with Kazador. R'iva happy to see Kazador, but her face turns to shock and concern seeing battered state Kazador was in. "Kazzie!" She runs over carefully placing her hands on him, "What happened to you?!"

"Jumped by another problem left behind by good old dad," Kazador answers. "You should see the other guy."

With that Kazador carries R'iva up with his arms, "Congrats on making it to the League, Green Girl!"

"Least you made it for the party," R'iva relief said, as she placed back to the ground.

"Hey, Kazador," Donnie runs up with his super speed. "Karaoke sing-off."

"You're on," Kazador simply accepts the challenge.

Outside of the Watchtower, the Phantom Stranger stood, and looking at the fellow observer who joined him in witnessing these events. The Stranger smiles,

 **"And so it is that time of cherishing loved ones and doing good unto others. Whether commemorating the birth of the Christ or honoring the giving actions of Santa Claus, or whatever any reason be, may good fortune and peace to this creation."**

* * *

 **Superior Knight- Could this have been done better, yes it could've. But I wanted to give something before Christmas.**

 **Pinkie- hey, what's the dealio about Next Gen?**

 **Superior Knight- I will be writing more episodic stories based on the Next Gen world, where it will be based on these OCs along with the canon characters.**

 **Deadpool- hey, I saw a Fullmetal Alchemist reference.**

 **Superior Knight- I couldn't resist. Anyways, Merry Christmas to you all! God bless and have a wonderful time!**


End file.
